Chief Ed puts BMW’s squeaky-new iX3 SAV through its paces North of Bangkok. Says it holds the road better than Mango Sticky Rice, and drives smoother than Thai Milk Tea
Pathumthani Speedway is about an hour’s drive North of Bangkok’s city centre. That was where I finally got to put BMW’s all new iX3 electric SAV (SUV in BMW talk) through its paces.
The month of April may be known to be the hottest month of the year in Bangkok, but I was quick to learn that the late July sun would be no less punishing. On the positive side, the season’s intense rays elevated the lines on the Alpine White iX3 as it sat on the sweltering tarmac waiting for me. I thought to myself, it looked even better than when I first got acquainted with it in the studio back home.
The car we got is at the moment the range topping iX3 xDrive50 M Sport. We were rather curious and asked if there would be an even higher-powered M-badged version in the works, but from the way the BMW official shrugged his shoulders, we can only believe that it will happen in the coming next few quarters.
About a month ago, I brought you an intimate walkthrough of BMW’s most important car for the year. Almost millimetre-for-millimetre identical to the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X concept car, the iX3 would set the tone for BMW’s range of SAVs to come.
We were given the opportunity to take the iX3 for a jaunt around Pathum Thani’s public roads, and then put it through its paces around Pathumthani Speedway itself. The last time I drove on Thailand’s public roads was in 2018, when I did a road trip in the previous generation MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, doing a round trip from Bangkok to Khao Kho, Khao Yai and back to the Thai capital.
Pulling onto the road, I began to ease into the faintly-familiar pace of Thailand’s traffic. We were among a convoy of six iX3 SAVs, carrying an entourage of over ten car loving media peeps from Singapore. In the car with me was a punny industry lao jiao, who is the absolute sole reason for why I am doing what I am doing now.
The roads around these areas are relatively well-kept, though there are quite a few dips the iX3’s suspension had to mitigate. At the heart of the SAV, is BMW’s new “Heart of Joy” toolkit. The iX3 50 weighs over 2,300kg, which means that firmware has to deal with sudden weight changes, while still providing a comfortable drive for the car’s occupants. During the drive, I could actually feel the changes in the suspension’s damping, as it shaved away some of the iX3’s firmness, to allow for it to compose itself.
Within the SUV’s cabin, that radical 43.3-inch windscreen-projected Panoramic Vision display works beautifully. You make it your own, by selecting the driving data you want to have displayed on the base of the windscreen.
BMW has also pulled off all the stops for the infotainment screen. The 17.9-inch touchscreen features QuickSelect tiles, making finding functions easier. The Operating System X powered touchscreen is also tilted to the right, bringing crucial functions within easy reach of the driver. The screen tilts the other way for Left-hand drive cars.
An uncanny track machine
Back at the Pathumthani Speedway, we were given a familiarisation run of the circuit before going “full whack” with the iX3 50’s 469hp and 645Nm. The xDrive AWD is delivered in rear-biased fashion.
One of the features that BMW is proud of is their ‘Soft Stop’, which mitigates the lurch you get from braking, executing with normal driving what feels like an automated ‘limousine stop’. On the circuit’s emergency braking segment, we threw caution to the wind, and accelerated the iX3 to 140km/h, before standing on the brakes, to bring the car to a halt. Over here, the BMW trades its comfortable braking ability to “stop on a dime”.
I dare say that the iX3 is at its best, when being flicked through the slalom and handling segment of the course. The luxury electric SUV feels largely rear-driven, though still slightly understeer-y from all that inertia. The front-driven wheels do help to tuck all that mass neatly into a turn. Overall, the iX3 corners relatively flat, with the suspension working extra hard to prevent excessive roll. While it is razor-sharp for an electric SUV, it is amazingly forgiving too.
The amount of engineering that has gone into this car is seriously mind-boggling. Electric, yes. Weighty, yes. But it is every bit a driver’s car.
The BMW iX3 paves the way for the next generation of BMW EVs. It gives you a preview of what is to come; and from what we experienced at the Pathumthani Speedway and around the neighbourhood, BMW’s next generation of EVs show a lot of promise.
Text: Clifford Chow
Photos: BMW Thailand & David Ting
2026 BMW iX3 Electric xDrive50 M Sport 108.7kWh
| Drivetrain | Full Electric |
| Layout | Dual Motor, All-Wheel Drive |
| Motor power / torque | 469hp / 645Nm |
| Efficiency | 15.1kWh/100km |
| Battery capacity | 102kWh |
| 0-100km/h | 4.9 Seconds |
| Top Speed | 210km/h |
| VES Band | A |
| Dealer | Performance Motors / BMW Eurokars Auto |
| Price | S$389,888 with COE, with VES |
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